by Steven Ang | magazine blog reporting on opera, musicals and classical music in Singapore, Southeast Asia and the region

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Basso Canaries Program

The Basso Canaries concert is THIS COMING MONDAY 6 FEBRUARY!!! Here's what's gonna go down come 8pm at the Arts House Living Room:

Program:

1. 手挽手 (Hand in Hand) Xinjiang Folk Tune
This rhythmic Xinjiang folk song shares the first blushes of love in the mountains.

2. 追寻 (In Pursuit) 劉雪庵 Liu Xue-An
This classic love serenade has been sung by generations of singers and is known for its lovely melody and lyrics of undying passion.

3. 黑雾 (Black Fog) 黃友棣Huang You-Di
This melancholic song describes a man’s state of depression and the respite he has eventually found in himself.

4. 满江红 (The Red River) 林聲翕Lin Sheng-Xi
The Red River is a classic poem by the legendary Song Dynasty general Yue Fei (岳飛). Its heroic theme of chivalry and bloodshed have inspired many musical settings, including this 20th century piece by Lin Sheng-Weng (林聲翁).

5. Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen Gustav Mahler
This song cycle was recently performed by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra on 21st October 2011. Though written for baritones to sing, this work is often sung by mezzo-sopranos and altos instead as it features a lot of high notes. The song cycle consists of four songs and seems to have an important connection to Mahler’s First Symphony as the themes of the second and fourth songs can be found in the symphony itself.

6. 怀念曲 - 黃永熙(Tune of Reminiscence) Huang Yong-Xi
The protagonist of this classic love song is pining for his missing lover; he begs the flowing waters to send his messages of love to her, and asks the swallows daily if they have brought any messages from her.

7. 大江东去 (The River Heads East) 青主 Qing Zhu
The verses of this music is based on the famous poetry of Song Dynasty poet Su-Shi (蘇軾). The verses portray the remembrance of Nu Jiao, a beauty of The Three Kingdoms and the battle of Chi Bi which took place during The Three Kingdoms era.

8. Three Poems, Op. 10 Samuel Barber
Composed by one of the most influential American composers during the turn of early 20th Century, this work is filled with beautifully structured harmonies that will surely make you love the work.

9. Three Years And Eight Months Xiao Chunyuan
Three years and eight months is the exact duration the Japanese occupied Singapore for during World War II. This music composed by Xiao Chunyuan is about a man who tells us why he became a soldier and what the days during World War II were like. The composer felt that it was important to compose this piece because Singaporeans here, especially the younger generation, do not understand the significance of the Japanese occupation.

10. 雙溪戀歌 （Love Song of the Stream）盧炎 Lu Yan
The recently deceased Professor Lu Yan is one of the first Taiwanese composers to pursue studies in the US, and has had a long teaching and composing career in Soochow University (or SCU). The lyrics of this song tells the story of a student’s four years of studies in SCU, drawing imagery from the surrounding mountains and the stream that has become synonymous with the school.

11. 杯底不可饲金鱼 (No Goldfish Rearing in the Cup!)呂泉生 Lü Quan-Sheng
This famous drinking song was inspired by the infamous 28 Feb (1947) incident that led to a systematic and bloody clamp-down of local dissidents by the newly arrived/defeated ROC government. The composer felt that such divisions between groups of people should not be happening in this beautiful place that he loved, and thus decided to write this work in hopes people will come to respect one another through music and alcohol. This song became one of the most popular works by the composer and is composed in the Minan dialect.

Tickets are available at the Arts House box office. Hope to see you there!